It's possible that Las Vegas goers won't see much of Elvis Presley impersonators in the area.
The hundreds of impersonators of the legendary King of Rock and Roll is thought to have married around one million individuals, including celebrities such as Kourtney Kardashian and music diva Lily Allen.
However, the licensing company that controls Presley's image and likeness is apparently cracking down on Sin City chapels who conduct these Elvis-themed weddings.
The Authentic Brand Group has issued a number of cease-and-desist letters to various locations, sending shockwaves across the lucrative sector.
According to the letter, which was viewed by the LV Review-Journal and cited by The Sun, they want these people to cease using Presley's "name, likeness, voice image, and other components of his personal in ads, goods, and elsewhere."
Furthermore, the corporation said that the terms "Elvis," "Elvis Presley," and "The King of Rock and Roll" are protected trademarks.
These Las Vegas chapels who received the notice but choose not to comply will allegedly face legal action.
Melody Willis-Williams, president of Vegas Weddings and Viva Las Vegas Weddings, believes that the licensing company's actions might be highly devastating to their businesses.
"The majority of us are little enterprises up against a superpower." Fighting this might cost us our lives in legal bills."
"We are a family-run business, and now we're hanging with the big dogs," Kayla of LasVegasElvisWeddingChapel.com added.
She characterized their tiny firm as their bread and butter, and she couldn't understand why they were just getting back on track after the epidemic, only to be smacked with another catastrophe.
Meanwhile, a source stated, "Elvis fans all around Las Vegas are trembling in their Blue Suede Shoes." This is not good news for the churches dotting the strip."
Per ABC, the Las Vegas wedding business produces $2 billion every year, with Elvis-themed nuptials accounting for a large portion of the ceremonies performed.
Graceland Wedding Chapel is said to perform 6,400 Elvis-themed marriages every year. However, they have not yet received a warning.
The Authentic Brand Group manages the estates of celebrities such as boxer Muhammad Ali and actress Marilyn Monroe.
According to Mark Tratos, who helped develop the statute, the new ruling will not result in legal action against Elvis Presley-themed stage plays in Las Vegas since imitating someone for live performances is considered an exemption under Nevada's right of publicity law.
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